When my son was 3 months old, we were fortunate enough to find a lady who ran a daycare out of her home. The traditional daycare wait lists were crazy long and without her help we would have been up the creek without any solution since we both work full time. The benefit to an at-home daycare was there were fewer kids to spread their germs and sickness wasn’t too much of an issue. Last October, a few months after his first birthday, we enrolled Bennett in a traditional daycare. What followed was the “Winter of Crud”. He got 3 ear infections (no coincidence they came shortly after I stopped breastfeeding), croup twice, we all had the flu over Christmas, at least one bout with a stomach bug, and plenty of runny noses. Add in the adjustment of a new daycare situation, teething and weaning and it’s a wonder I wasn’t drinking daily. I know the first year of daycare can be brutal while the kids’ immune systems adjust, but I vowed to buff up my preventative measures for this winter and try to avoid repeat illnesses and missed work. We’ve added several steps into our routine now that temps are dropping and I’m confident they’ll not only lessen our chances of getting sick, but if we do happen to catch a bug they’ll lessen the severity. Side note: let me say that I’m not against modern medicine. I am very grateful for the latest and best medical advances and practices that are within a short drive for most of us. I do think our society is over dependent on prescriptions...

I started my meal planning in preparation for Day 1 of the Whole30 challenge on Thursday. Being that we start on a Thursday I’m not putting too much pressure on myself and planning out 3 days’ worth of meals to get me through to my next shopping trip. Here’s what I have planned: Breakfasts I can’t do eggs right now, so my meals will be egg-free. However if you can eat eggs breakfast should be pretty easy with the countless options that eggs provide (frittatas with veggies, zucchini and egg mcmuffins, sausage and eggs with fruit, etc.) Here are some ideas I have in mind for my meals: chicken sausages bought at the meat counter at Earth Fare; sliced pear and Trader Joe’s almond butter smoothie with Great Lakes grass-fed gelatin, coconut oil and almond butter for blood sugar-balancing protein and good fats Trader Joe’s turkey burger with mustard; banana slices with TJ’s coconut flakes and raw cashews Lunches chicken salad (from the can) made with avocado, grape quarters and chopped celery and almonds; salad with grilled chicken (bought at the on-site cafe at work). I’ll be bringing my own dressing of olive oil, balsamic and mustard blended together; sliced apples leftovers from dinner Dinners baked salmon with a “clean” chipotle seasoning; butternut squash and leek soup rotisserie chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts with chili powder and coconut oil leftovers Snacks tangerines and mixed roasted (unsalted) nuts pear slices and almond butter Lara bars (judiciously, and probably only half at a time bc dates = blood sugar spike) sliced and salted avocado hopefully some compliant beef jerky if I can get my hands...

I’m so glad you decided to join me on this Whole 30 Challenge! It’s so much easier and enjoyable when you have support from people who are going through it together :) I enjoy motivating others to challenge what they know about food and being healthy and try new things, such as this. You can read more about my story here… Why Whole30? The Whole30 program is a “nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.” (source) It’s using food as medicine. “No other therapy – natural or otherwise – can come even remotely close to accomplishing all of these goals.” (source) Pretty amazing right?! To oversimplify with my food and natural living philosophy, it’s simply Good In = Good Out. Once you eliminate the foods that have negative effects on your body, even subtle ones like achy joints or chronic sinus issues, you’ll realize how great you feel sticking to foods that support your body and don’t contribute to disease prematurely. You’ll also gain clarity on your relationship with food, introduce your palette to new foods and up your cooking game. If you’re like I was during my first Whole 30, you have a lot of questions and probably some concerns before you start. What am I getting myself into? I can’t LIVE without cheese! Won’t this way of eating be expensive?? There are many excuses you could throw at me that I’m sure seem valid but in the end they are reasons to stay in your comfort...